Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03
TIE SOUTHWEST.
THE GREAT BOON In yrR rEIss CAR.
DEE-sPor.
The Development and Purchase Of Nine
rai.Lands- Capitalists Rushing Ia
Railroad Schemes.
Especial correspondence o. ,he plspa,ci.l

4
ABINGDON, March %, 1887.
We'll, were you ever in Southwest
Virginia II is one Of the richest sec
tons OF the Old Dominion, and en-
braces the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise,
Dickinson, buchanan, Russell, Wash
ington, Smyth, Bland, Tazewell, Wythe,
Pulaski. Giles, Craig, Montgomery, and
Roanoke-all OF which, except the two
last, are in the Ninth congressional dis
trict, where many bard-fought politi-
cal battle has been lost and won.
pEoDrcTs.
The country is wild, rugged, and
mountainous. The sconcryis beautiful
and picturesque. In the valleys are
rich meadows and fertile fields. The
irircjral streams are the Holston, New
liver, Clincn riyer, Guss and Powell
rlveIs, and any lumber Of creeks, sutn
et Cripple, p,ue Stone, Big creek, Mud
LicB creek, Mill creek, Swords creek,
,-cuis creek, Thompson creek, Wea-
ver's creek. Bumps creek, Lick creek,
srd Others. Along number Of these
streams are rich deposits of coal auds
iron. The principal products of the
section are corn, wheat, oats. rye, bar
ley, millct, and in some sections tobac-
co Of superior quality.
CATTLE.
From many n mountain-peak the
eve can take in miles Of beautiful blue
grass stock farms filed with herds OF
fine. fat cattle, grazing in rich meadows
8nd upon the mountain sides. Thou
sands of these are shipped annually to
northern and eastern cities. A three
year-old, when ready for market, weighs
from 1000 to ] 400 pounds. The num-
Der of cattle that were shipped out Of
the counties of Tazewell, Russell,
Washington, Pulaski, Smyth, and
Giles last year is said to exceed 100.-
coo head. From Wise, Dickinson, and
Buchanan large number OF hogs are
shipped. In all of these counties sheep
ere raised, and in some much attention
is given them on account of WOOL
Shipment of this last is also large.
TIMBER.
Magnificent forests OF oak, poplar,
walnut, sugar-maple, pine, and wild
cherry are TO be seen in most every
county. In the counties Cf Dickinson,
Wise, and Buchanan the largest guam
tity OF walnut is TO be found, for. owing
to lack of railroad facilities, very little of
it has been shipped. A party Of capital
lists have recently purchased several
thousand trees in those counties at an
average of $2.50 tree. Their value at
any railroad station on the Norfolk ana
Western road is from $40 TO $50 apiece,
according to the size of the logs.
in 1885 over 5000 carloads Of
walnut logs were shipped from Taze-
well and Giles counties. There are a
number of saw-mills i'll these counties,
and the lumber interest is largely on
the increase. Messrs Trigg 81 Co, OF
Abingdon, handled last year 0,00J, 200
feet of lumber, and Floyd b. Hurt
5,CC0,C00.
SUMMER RESORTS.
potted here and there are attractive
fam. houses. The number Of Watering
places, summer resorts, and mineral
springs are numerous. In Giles county
che Of the greatest of freaks of nature
is TO be seen. II is located at the head
of Little Stony creek onballed Knob.
Cne of the spurs of the Alleghanies is
the famous lake called Salt Pond. 1t
covers sixty acres, and is said to be
4,0C0 feet above tidewater. No fish
can live in its waters. Another noted
place is Eggleston Sulphur Springs, on
New river, where can be seen Anvil
Rock (295 feet high, Caesars Arch, and
Fcmpeii's Pillar. The Montgomery
White, Yellow Sulphur, Allegheny, and
ue-Ridee Springs are delightful
watering. places to visit. These mineral
waters all have a most excellent repu-
tation. At Salem, Wytheville, Abing-
con, Clristiansburg, Marion, New
born, and Glade Springs a number of
visitols sojourn during the summer
months. for at that season in this Sec
ton the climate is delightfully."- cool
and pleasant and invigorating.
MINERALS.
Much has been said recently by the
press of the mineral resourcesof South
west Virginia, which, few years ago,
we're comparatively unknown to capt.
talists indeed but few in this section
knew their worth. In all of these coun-
ties are TO be found red or brown hema-
titc iron. ores, and III some both. Elk
perts say that they excel those of Bir-
mingham. The same may be said OF
ccal. Rich veins, averaging from six
to twelve feet thick, are to be found
i'll the counties of Tazewell, Russell,
Dickinson, Wise, and Buchanan. 1T
is good for both cokinG and fuel.
Gypsum, or plaster, and salt are in nm
told quantities in Smyth and Washing
ion counties, and zinc, lead, and manga
nose are plentiful. There is some gold
III Montgomery and in Ashe county, n.
C.. which border on the Virginia line and
touch Washington county. The gold
quartz isveryrich. Copperisalso found.
Some of the prettiest marble IS also to
be bad in this section. 1t is OF various
colors-white, pink, green, gray, and
yariegatcd. 1t will take years and
wears to exhaust these minerals. Here
they are awaiting development A few
months ago in many Localities they
were undiscovered, but now every
where are to be encountered experts
who are eager to buy. Capitalists have
been seeking investment out here for
several months past, and in the last
four or five months not less than
81, 600, 900 has been expended outright
in purchasing mineral lands, prospect
ing, erecting plants, and buying the
right of way for railroads. Yes, the
old southwest is ON a boom-not a po-
litical boom, nor can it be called a
speculative boom, but business boom.
Money is being invested by men that
are engaged in 6Ona5fde iron enter
prises-who are purchasing with the
purpose of opening up the ores. You
bear everywhere of companies being
organized for this purpose, and OF
contracts being made to build plants.
From present indications this section
bids fair in few years TO
rival the non regions of Pennsylvania.
In short time the Norfolk and West
ern railroad and its branches, which
have done so much for this section, will
be lighted by the, lights from the fur
paces and other plants that have been
erected since 1882 for before that
there were none) and are now beng
built.
ROANOKE CITY.